In general, a hot press mold used for optical glass lenses is required to have (a) high corrosion resistance to glass, (b) a high thermal conductivity (exoergic properties), and (c) a low thermal expansion coefficient. Therefore, W-based sintered materials having (a) a melting point in a range from 1,800 to 2,000° C., (b) a thermal conductivity in a range from 90 to 150 W/m·K, and (c) a thermal expansion coefficient in a range from 4.5×10−6 to 5.5×10−6/K are used as a material constituting a hot press mold used for optical glass lenses.
In addition, as is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2003-239034, a W-based sintered material used for a hot press mold is generally obtained by sintering a pressed powder comprising Ni in a range from 0.2 to 0.8% by mass (below, “%” denotes “% by mass”), the balance being W. It is also known that W phases are sinter-bonded in the W-based sintered material, that the W phase has the largest particle diameter of 40 μm or more by a texture observation using an electron scanning microscope, and that the W-based sintered material has a compressive strength in a range from 700 to 900 MPa, and Vickers hardness (Hv) in a range from 250 to 290.
In recent years, small-sizing and weight-saving of many kinds of electronic device, electric device, or optical devices have been remarkable, and optical glass lenses which are optical elements provided in these devices are also required to be small-sized and thin. In accordance with this, molding temperature and molding pressure of a hot press mold, which is an element of hot press molding device for optical glass lenses, tend to be high. However, since hot press molds made of conventional W-based sintered materials have insufficient strength and hardness, it is impossible to reply to these demands, and duration of life in the hot press molds is relatively short.